Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children   By: Mabel Powers

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MABEL POWERS (YEH SEN NOH WEHS)

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO

Copyright, 1917, by MABEL POWERS. All rights reserved. W. P. 9

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TO ALL THE CHILDREN WHO ASK HOW AND WHY, ESPECIALLY THOSE RED CHILDREN WHO SEE WITH WONDER EYES, AND THOSE PALEFACE CHILDREN WHO YET BELIEVE IN FAIRIES, THESE STORIES ARE LOVINGLY DEDICATED

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CONTENTS

PAGE

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 8

FOREWORD BY THE CHIEFS 9

INTRODUCTORY

HOW THE STORIES CAME TO BE 11

WHY I WAS CALLED THE STORY TELLER 13

THE LITTLE PEOPLE 18

STORY TELLING TIME 23

HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS 27

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER 34

IROQUOIS WONDER STORIES

HOW THE WHITE MAN CAME 45

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS 49

HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT HIS SUIT 60

WHY THE PARTRIDGE DRUMS 66

HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED TO HEAL 69

WHY DOGS CHASE FOXES 75

WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS SO SHY 79

HOW GOOD AND EVIL CAME TO BE 85

HOW A BOY WAS CURED OF BOASTING 90

WHY THE CUCKOO IS SO LAZY 95

HOW THE COON OUTWITTED THE FOX 99

WHY THE GOLDFINCHES LOOK LIKE THE SUN 103

WHAT THE ASH AND THE MAPLE LEARNED 107

HOW THE WOMAN OVERCAME THE BEAR 112

WHY THE WOODPECKER BORES FOR ITS FOOD 115

WHY THE ICE ROOF FELL 119

WHY THE CHIPMUNK HAS BLACK STRIPES 122

HOW TWO INDIAN BOYS SETTLED A QUARREL 125

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE WARRIORS 130

WHY CROWS ARE POOR 135

WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG 139

GREEDY FAWN AND THE PORRIDGE 145

WHY HOUNDS OUTRUN OTHER ANIMALS 152

WHY INDIANS NEVER SHOOT PIGEONS 155

HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK 159

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES 168

WHY THE HARE HAS A SPLIT LIP AND SHORT TAIL 176

CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN 180

HOW THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST 187

IROQUOIS FAIRY STORIES

HOW MORNING STAR LOST HER FISH 195

HOW LITTLE SHOOTER LOST HIS LUCK 201

HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME 205

HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC 211

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

If the Red Children had not welcomed the writer to their lodge fires, these stories the Iroquois tell their children could not have been retold. With one or two exceptions, the ideas found in the stories have been had from the lips of the Indians themselves. To ARTHUR C. PARKER Ga wa so wa neh for his careful review of the stories and assistance in securing authentic Iroquois illustrations; and to the following story tellers who so kindly welcomed her to their lodges, and told her stories, the writer is most grateful.

EDWARD CORNPLANTER ( So son do wah "Great Night") Seneca Wolf WILLIAM PATTERSON ( Ga reh hwonts "Power has come down") Tuscarora Deer MOSES SHONGO ( Ho non da a suh "Keeper of the hills") Seneca Wolf CLIFFORD SHONGO ( Ouhn yah dah goh "Very dark blue sky") Seneca Wolf CHARLES DOXON ( Hoh squa sa ga dah "Woodsman") Onondaga Turtle DANIEL GEORGE ( Jo ha a ga dah "Roadscraper") Onondaga Eel MARY PRINTUP ( Wah le sa loh ) Mohawk Snipe DAN WILLIAMS ( Oh geh rah u reh ru ha neh "Running Bear") Tuscarora Bear ELI HENRY Tuscarora Deer HARRIETT PEMBLETON ( Gah do rehn tah "Dropping Husks") Tuscarora Turtle AMOS KILLBUCK ( Har wen do dyoh "He has forsaken early dawn") Seneca Wolf ALFRED JIMESON ( Har neh a oh "Hatchet in his hands") Seneca Heron WILLIAM HOAG ( O no nah "Very cold") Seneca Wolf ELLEN PIERCE SHONGO ( Yea wen noh aih "The high word") Seneca Wolf BAPTIST THOMAS ( Sa ha whe "Long feather") Onondaga Turtle ALBERT CUSICK ( Sha go na qua da "Made them mad") Onondaga Eel THEODORE JIMESON ( Jah o yah ) Seneca Snipe DAVID WARRIOR ( Dwen o gwah ) Cayuga White Heron WILLETT JIMESON ( So i as ah "Owner of fine cornstalks") Seneca Wolf NANCY GREYSQUIRREL ( Gah gwah tah "One who lifts") Seneca Bear EMILY TALLCHIEF ( Gi das was "Wind blowing through corn") Seneca Turtle LOUISE PIERCE LOGAN ( Ga yah was "The quivering heaven") Seneca Wolf THOMAS JONES ( Gah ne yehs "The dropping snow") Seneca Wolf

FOREWORD